India to help ousted PM Sheikh Hasina, in touch with Bangladesh Army

India has assured help to former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told an all-party meeting on Tuesday. The EAM said that New Delhi has given Hasina time to decide on a future course of action. Hasina resigned as Prime Minister on Monday and left Dhaka after a massive protest by what many claim organised by the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.

As Sheikh Hasina fled the country, thousands of protesters including members of radical outfit Jamaat-e-Islami hit the streets and resorted to violence, targeting Awami League leaders, Hindus, and temples. 

Briefing political party leaders in Parliament House, Jaishankar said India was in touch with the Bangladesh Army to ensure the safety of over 10,000 Indian students in that country, the sources told news agency PTI.

"Briefed an All-Party meeting in Parliament today about the ongoing developments in Bangladesh. Appreciate the unanimous support and understanding that was extended," Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting. 

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said his party is fully with the government as far as national security and national interest are concerned. However, he was not present at the meeting. Bangladesh plunged into chaos after street protests over job quota forced Hasina to quit and flee the troubled country. 

The all-party meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, DMK leader T R Baalu, and NCP leader Supriya Sule among others.

Hasina, who arrived in India on Morning evening, is likely to head to London, where she will seek political asylum. Bangladesh Air Force transport plane C-130J that carried Hasina to Ghaziabad's Hindon air base has left India without her. The aircraft took off from the air base around 9:00 am with seven military personnel and was flying towards its base in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina landed at Hindon airbase from where she has reportedly been taken to a safe house in a posh locality of South Delhi.